1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to stock locator systems for retail environments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various stock locator systems are presently used by retail establishments to assist employees in locating various items on the shelves. Presently used systems typically include an upper display area on each set of shelves, having samples of the product stored on the shelves, possibly along with a locator chart displaying a catalog number, product description, retailer""s SKU number and/or stock locator number. The lower portion of the shelves are typically used to store the stocked product, with the stock locator numbers beginning at one end of one shelf, continuing to the opposite end of that shelf, and then wrapping around towards the beginning of the next shelf. Such a system does not make the specific shelf, or location within the shelf, on which a product is located readily apparent.
Some automated warehouses use a plurality of bays, with each bay containing a robotic arm slidably mounted to a moving column. To store or retrieve items, the column is moved to the appropriate location, and the arm is moved to the appropriate height, so that the arm is in the location of the desired item.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved stock locator system, wherein a user may look up the desired product on a chart, and thereby be directed to an appropriate bay, shelf, and location on that shelf.
The present invention is a stock locator system providing a system of indicia identifying the appropriate bay, shelf, and location within a shelf of a desired item. For example, individual bays may be identified by a first indicia such as color. Individual shelves within each bay may be identified by a second indicia, such as numeric or alphabetical. Specific locations within each shelf may be denoted by a third indicia, such as numeric.
A typical bay utilizing the system of the present invention may, for example, include a display area for displaying product samples or display models, and a product locator chart. The product locator chart may contain a list of products, and the products"" location by bay, shelf, and location within a shelf. The bay may also contain shelves divided into sections with each section containing the items specified in the chart.
To use the stock locator system of the present invention, the user, either a store employee or a customer, will find the desired item on the chart. The chart will indicate the bay, shelf, and location within the shelf of the desired item, for example, the bay color, shelf number, and number corresponding to the location on the shelf. The user may then proceed to the appropriate bay, find the appropriate shelf, and then find the appropriate location on that shelf, thereby locating the desired item.
It is therefore an aspect of the present invention to provide a stock locator system having a first indicia designating a bay, a second indicia designating a shelf within the bay, and a third indicia designating a location on the shelf.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a stock locator system whereby a user may quickly and easily determine the exact location of the desired item by simply looking at a chart.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a stock locator system usable by both customers and store employees.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent through the following description and drawings.